Visual valence bond rules for chemical reactions

A symmetry-adaptation rule of the valence bond structure for concerted reactions was developed within the bonded tableau valence bond formalism. According to a symmetry analysis of the valence bond structure segments accounting for the reaction, one can predict whether a chemical process is favored or unfavored. This method is based on conceptual resonance theory and the visual valence bond approach, without carrying out any explicitly theoretical calculations to know orbital details. Furthermore, by imposing a phase factor on each bonding pair, namely, the phase alternation postulate, the mechanisms of the concerted reactions can be easily outlined. These rules have been applied to organic and inorganic reactions including the participation of biradicals and species with multi-reference character. Received: 7 September 1998 / Accepted: 9 November 1998 / Published online: 1 February 1999     

Analytical energy surfaces for the collinear H+H2 and Li+H2 exchange reactions

A simple four-parameter function is shown to possess adequate flexibility to fit the H + H₂ →H₂ + H and Li + H₂ → LiH + H exchange reaction energy surfaces to good accuracy along the reaction paths.     

LiAlH4与Li3AlH6的成键特性及热力学稳定性

采用基于密度泛函理论(DFT)的平面波赝势(PW-PP)方法, 计算了LiAlH4分解反应中各个产物的晶胞参数、电子结构、生成焓和分解反应的反应焓. 反应中各固态、气态物质的晶胞的结构优化后的晶格参数与相应的实验值均符合得较好. 对LiAlH4与Li3AlH6的电子结构分析均表明, 其中的Al—H键为共价键、Li—H键为离子键. 对各分解反应的反应焓计算结果表明, (1) LiAlH4→1/3Li3AlH6+2/3Al+H2,(2) 1/3Li3AlH6→LiH+1/3Al+1/2H2及(3) LiH+Al→LiAl+1/2H2均为吸热反应, 298 K时计算的反应焓分别为14.3、14.9 与50.9 kJ·mol-1, 与相应的实验值符合得较好.     

Implementation of molecular symmetry in valence bond calculation

A novel strategy for the construction of many-electron symmetry-adapted wave function is proposed for ab initio valence bond (VB) calculations and is implemented for valence bond self-consistent filed (VBSCF) and breathing orbital valence bond (BOVB) methods with various orbital optimization algorithms. Symmetry-adapted VB functions are constructed by the projection operator of symmetry group. The many-electron symmetry-adapted wave function is expressed in terms of symmetry-adapted VB functions, and thus the VB calculations can be performed with the molecular symmetry restriction. Test results show that molecular symmetry reduces the computational cost of both the iteration numbers and CPU time. Furthermore, excited states with specific symmetry can be conveniently obtained in VB calculations by using symmetry-adapted VB functions.     

Some comments on valence bond representations for the radical exchange reaction X*+R:Y-->X:R+Y*

Qualitative valence bond formulations by Hiberty and co-workers (Hiberty, P. C.; Megret, C.; Song, L.; Wu, W.; Shaik, S. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 2836) of mechanisms for the radical exchange reactions H*+F:H-->H:F+H* and F*+H:F-->F:H+F* are compared to a previously published formulation of the generalized radical exchange reaction X*+R:Y-->X:R+Y*. The former formulation uses covalent-ionic VB complexes, and the latter formulation, which is more general, involves the formation of reactant-like and product-like complexes at intermediate stages along the reaction coordinate.     

Product distributions, rate constants, and mechanisms of LiH+H reactions

We present a quantum-mechanical investigation of the LiH depletion reaction LiH+H-->Li+H2 and of the H exchange reaction LiH+H'-->LiH'+H. We report product distributions, rate constant, and mechanism of the former, and rate constant and mechanism of the latter reaction. We use the potential-energy surface by Dunne et al. [Chem. Phys. Lett. 336, 1 (2001)], the real-wave-packet method by Gray and Balint-Kurti [J. Chem. Phys. 108, 950 (1998)], and the J-shifting approximation. The 1H2 nuclear-spin statistics and progressions of vib-rotational states (v',j') rule both initial-state-resolved and thermal product distributions, which have saw-toothed shapes with odd j' preferred with respect to even j'. At high collision energies and temperatures, we obtain a regular 3-to-1 intensity alternation of rotational states. At low collision energies and temperatures, the degeneracy and density of many H2 levels can, however, give more irregular distributions. During the collision, the energy flows from the reactant translational mode to the product vibration and recoil ones. The rate constants of both reactions are not Arrhenius type because the reactions are barrier-less. The low-temperature, LiH depletion rate constant is larger than the H exchange one, whereas the contrary holds at high temperature. The real-time mechanisms show the nuclear rearrangements of the nonreactive channel and of the reactive ones, and point out that the LiH depletion is preferred over the H exchange at short times. This confirms the rate-constant results.     

价键理论中的组态相互作用

近 2 0年来 ,从头计算水平的价键 (VB)方法得到了人们的重视 ,并广泛应用于化学反应等问题的研究[1～ 5] ,然而目前价键理论的计算方法仍然很不完善 .用 VBSCF方法进行计算虽然比较简单 ,能正确地描述化学反应的形成机理 ,但数值结果不理想 ;而用 BOVB方法[4 ] 进行计算虽然可以得到较好的计算结果 ,但存在收敛困难等问题 .分子轨道理论中的组态相互作用是一种简单直接的电子相关能计算方法 ,显然这一方法可以应用于价键方法中 .然而与分子轨道理论方法不同 ,在价键方法中 ,无法直接得到空轨道 ,此外如何选取激发价键函数使得计算结果…     

Structure and bonding of H3CCuH

The reaction CH₄ + Cu(²P) → H₃CCuH → H₃C-CU + H and H₃C + CuH has been subjected to ab initio SCF calculations within the RHF formalism using a split valence shell gaussian basis set. The three electronic states (²A₁m ²E and ²E) of H₃CCuH studied had C_3V symmetry. The molecular structure and computed properties of the H₃CCuH ground state (²A₁) suggested that this molecule can be considered as a methyl radical attached to a closed-shell CuH. The results also indicate that the formation of H₃CCuH may occur through either an insertion or via an abstraction mechanism, nevertheless, the insertion mechanism appears to be the most favoured.     

Quantum wave-packet dynamics of H+HLi scattering: reaction cross section and thermal rate constant

The channel specific and initial state-selected reaction cross section and temperature-dependent rate constant for the title system is calculated with the aid of a time-dependent wave-packet approach and using the ab initio potential energy surface of Dunne et al. [Chem. Phys. Lett. 336, 1 (2001)]. All partial-wave contributions up to the total angular momentum J=74 are explicitly calculated within the coupled states (CS) approximation. Companion calculations are also carried out employing the standard as well as the uniform J-shifting (JS) approximation. The overall variation of reaction cross sections corresponds well to the behavior of a barrierless reaction. The hydrogen exchange channel yielding HLi+H products is seen to be more favored over the HLi depletion channel yielding Li+H(2) products at low and moderate collision energies. Sharp resonance features are observed in the cross-section results for the HLi depletion channel at low energies. Resonance features in the reaction cross sections average out with various partial-wave contributions, when compared to the same observed in the individual reaction probability curve. Except near the onset of the reaction, the vibrational and rotational excitation of the reagent HLi, in general, does not dramatically influence the reactivity of either channel. The thermal rate constants calculated up to 4000 K show nearly Arrhenius type behavior. The rate constant decreases with vibrational excitation of the reagent HLi, indicating that the cold HLi molecules are efficiently depleted in the reactive encounter with H at relatively low temperatures. The results obtained from the JS approximation are found to agree well qualitatively with the CS results.     

Infrared spectra and theoretical calculations of lithium hydride clusters in solid hydrogen, neon, and argon

A matrix isolation IR study of laser-ablated lithium atom reactions with H2 has been performed in solid para-hydrogen, normal hydrogen, neon, and argon. The LiH molecule and (LiH)(2,3,4) clusters were identified by IR spectra with isotopic substitution (HD, D(2), and H(2) + D(2)) and comparison to frequencies calculated by density functional theory and the MP2 method. The LiH diatomic molecule is highly polarized and associates additional H(2) to form primary (H(2))(2)LiH chemical complexes surrounded by a physical cage of solid hydrogen where the ortho and para spin states form three different primary complexes and play a role in the identification of the bis-dihydrogen complex and in characterization of the matrix cage. The highly ionic rhombic (LiH)(2) dimer, which is trapped in solid matrices, is calculated to be 22 kcal/mol more stable than the inverse hydrogen bonded linear LiH-LiH dimer, which is not observed here. The cyclic lithium hydride trimer and tetramer clusters were also observed. Although the spontaneous reaction of 2 Li and H(2) to form (LiH)(2) occurs on annealing in solid H(2), the formation of higher clusters requires visible irradiation. We observed the simplest possible chemical reduction of dihydrogen using two lithium valence electrons to form the rhombic (LiH)(2) dimer.     

Valence bond calculations of hydrogen transfer reactions: a general predictive pattern derived from theory

Hydrogen abstraction reactions of the type X(*) + H-H' --> X-H + H'(*) (X = F, Cl, Br, I) are studied by ab initio valence bond methods and the VB state correlation diagram (VBSCD) model. The reaction barriers and VB parameters of the VBSCD are computed by using the breathing orbital valence bond and valence bond configuration interaction methods. The combination of the VBSCD model and semiempirical VB theory leads to analytical expressions for the barriers and other VB quantities that match the ab initio VB calculations fairly well. The barriers are influenced by the endo- or exothermicity of the reaction, but the fundamental factor of the barrier is the average singlet-triplet gap of the bonds that are broken or formed in the reactions. Some further approximations lead to a simple formula that expresses the barrier for nonidentity and identity hydrogen abstraction reactions as a function of the bond strengths of reactants and products. The semiempirical expressions are shown to be useful not only for the model reactions that are studied in this work, but also for other nonidentity and identity hydrogen abstraction reactions that have been studied in previous articles.     

VB calculations with orthogonal basis functions

As a first step in the development of a semiempirical VB method,ab initio VB calculations were performed to obtain potential energy curves for the molecules HF and BeH₂ and the energy profile of the collinear exchange reaction F + H₂ HF + H. The applicability of the method is discussed with particular emphasis on the calculation of integrals over OAO's, the choice of valence structures to be included in the CI scheme and the interpretation of the wave function in terms of OAO's.     

H+H2(v=0,1)→H2(v′)+H反应截面的电子非绝热三维量子散射近似计算

本文把电子非绝热一维量子散射反应几率和三维量子散射反应截面的近似公式结合起来, 对于反应物分子(H_2)不同的量子振动态(v=0, 1) 分别计算了H+H_2(v=0)→H_2(v′=0, 1)+H和H+H_2(v=1)→H_2(v′=0, 1)+H的平均反应截面σ_0和σ_1, 并同文献上用电子绝热理论计算的结果作了比较, 表明对这类中性原予-分子反应碰撞的过程, 特别是当反应物分子处于振动激发态时, 电子非绝热效应是存在的。     

The Effects of Substituents and Solvents on the Ground‐State π‐Electronic Structure and Electronic Absorption Spectra of a Series of Model Merocyanine Dyes and Their Theoretical Interpretation

Two series of new merocyanine dyes have been synthesised and the dependence of their electronic structure on substituents and solvents has been studied by NMR spectroscopy, by using both the NMR ¹³C chemical shifts between adjacent C atoms in the polymethine chain and the ³J(H,H) coupling constants for trans‐vicinal protons. The widely used valence bond (VB) model based on two contributing structures cannot account theoretically for the observed alternating π‐electron density in the polymethine chain. In addition, the prediction of zero‐π‐bond order alternation (or zero‐bond length alternation) by this model is also incorrect. However, the results are consistent with the predictions of a qualitative VB model which considers the resonance of a positive charge throughout the whole polymethine chain. Based on this model and the Franck‐Condon principle the effect of substituents and solvents on the fine structure of the electronic spectra of these dyes can be explained as vibronic transitions from the vibrational state v=0 to v′, where v is the vibrational quantum number of the totally symmetric C?C valence vibration of the polymethine chain in the electronic ground state and v′ is that in the electronic excited state. In contrast, neither the effects of substituents or solvents on the electronic structure of merocyanines and their electronic spectra can be accounted for by the simple two state VB model.     

Full-dimensional quantum dynamics study of the H + H2O and H + HOD exchange reactions

The initial state-selected time-dependent wave packet approach is employed to study the H' + H(2)O → H'OH + H and H' + HOD → H'OD + H, HOH' + D exchange reactions with both OH bonds in the H(2)O reactant and OH(D) bond in the HOD reactant treated as reactive bonds. The total reaction probabilities for different partial waves, as well as the integral cross sections, which are the exact CC (coupled-channel) results, are first obtained in this study for the H(2)O(HOD) reactant initially in the ground rovibrational state. Because of the shallow C(3v) minimum along the reaction path, the reaction probabilities for the three reactions present several resonance peaks, with one dominant resonance peak just above the threshold. The cross sections for the H' + HOD → HOH' + D reaction are substantially smaller than those for the H' + H(2)O → H'OH + H and H' + HOD → H'OD + H reactions, indicating that the H'/H exchange reactions are much more favored. In the CC calculations, the resonance peaks in the reaction probabilities diminish quickly with the increase in total angular momenta J, resulting in the existence of a clear step-like feature just above the threshold in the cross sections for the title reactions, which manifests the signature of shape resonances in these reactions. In the CS calculations, the resonance peaks on reaction probabilities persist in many partial waves, and thus the resonance structures can no longer survive the partial-wave summation and are washed out completely in the CS cross sections for the title reactions.     

Influence of collision energy and reagent vibrational excitation on the dynamics of the reaction H + LiH

We present a detailed quasiclassical trajectory (QCT) study of the dynamics corresponding to the reaction H + LiH proceeding via depletion and H‐exchange paths on a new potential energy surface of the electronic ground state. The effects of collision energy and reagent initial vibrational excitation on the reaction probability and cross sections are studied over a wide range of collision energies. The QCT‐calculated reaction probability and cross sections are in good agreement with previous time‐dependent wave packet results. More importantly, we found that the vibrational excitation of LiH molecule inhibits the LiH depletion reaction, whereas it promotes the H‐exchange reaction. In addition, the differential cross sections calculated for the depletion reaction at different collision energies and excitation states indicate a strong forward scattering of the product molecule H₂. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Floating spherical gaussian orbital open-shell calculations on the four-electron H4 system

Floating spherical Gaussian orbital (FSGO ) open-shell calculations have been made to determine the potential energy surface of planar square and rectangular arrangements of the four-electron system H₄. This surface is discussed in relation to the bimolecular isotope exchange reaction H2+D2-→ 2HD. The changes in energy and geometry accompanying the coplanar approach of two hydrogen molecules interacting chemically have also been investigated. Calculations on the electronic energies of planar T-shaped and kite arrangements of H4 of various sizes show that it is unlikely that these configurations can serve as transition states for the exchange reaction. However, the energy curve for linear configurations of H4 (H? H? H … H), calculated as a function of the H₃ … H distance with the symmetric linear H₃ (H-H-H) unit fixed at the internuclear distance of 1.9080 a.u., is found to have a deep minimum (?1.9176 a.u.) at an r(H₃ … H) distance of 1.5846 a.u. The overall results suggest that the following mechanism for the exchange reaction, H₂+H₂→H₂+H+H→H₃+H→H+H₂+ H→H₂+H₂ could be advantageous as it requires a barrier height of 0.1604 a.u. which is significantly lower than that calculated from the saddle point energy (0.1950 a.u.). However, the problem of reconciling this with the experimental activation energy of 0.0685 a.u. still remains.     

The Menshutkin Reaction in the Gas Phase and in Aqueous Solution: A Valence Bond Study

The recently developed (L. Song, W. Wu, Q. Zhang, S. Shaik, J. Phys. Chem. A 2004 , 108, 6017–6024) valence bond method coupled to a polarized continuum model (VBPCM) is applied to the Menshutkin reaction, NH₃+CH₃Cl→CH₃NH₃⁺+Cl^?, in the gas phase and in aqueous solution. The computed barriers and reaction energies at the level of the breathing orbital VB method (P. C. Hiberty, J. P. Flament, E. Noizet, Chem. Phys. Lett. 1992 , 189, 259), BOVB and VBPCM//BOVB, are comparable to CCSD(T) and CCSD(T)//PCM results and to experimental values in solution. The gas‐phase reaction is endothermic and leads to an ion‐pair complex via a late transition state. By contrast, the reaction in the aqueous phase is exothermic and leads to separate solvated ions as reaction products, via an early transition state. The VB calculations provide also the reactivity parameters needed to apply the valence bond state correlation diagram method, VBSCD (S. Shaik, A. Shurki, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 1999 , 38, 586). It is shown that the reactivity parameters along with their semiempirical derivations provide together a satisfactory qualitative and quantitative account of the barriers.     

The effects of substituents and solvents on the ground-state π-electronic structure and electronic absorption spectra of a series of model merocyanine dyes and their theoretical interpretation

Two series of new merocyanine dyes have been synthesised and the dependence of their electronic structure on substituents and solvents has been studied by NMR spectroscopy, by using both the NMR (13)C chemical shifts between adjacent C atoms in the polymethine chain and the (3)J(H,H) coupling constants for trans-vicinal protons. The widely used valence bond (VB) model based on two contributing structures cannot account theoretically for the observed alternating π-electron density in the polymethine chain. In addition, the prediction of zero-π-bond order alternation (or zero-bond length alternation) by this model is also incorrect. However, the results are consistent with the predictions of a qualitative VB model which considers the resonance of a positive charge throughout the whole polymethine chain. Based on this model and the Franck-Condon principle the effect of substituents and solvents on the fine structure of the electronic spectra of these dyes can be explained as vibronic transitions from the vibrational state v = 0 to v', where v is the vibrational quantum number of the totally symmetric C=C valence vibration of the polymethine chain in the electronic ground state and v' is that in the electronic excited state. In contrast, neither the effects of substituents or solvents on the electronic structure of merocyanines and their electronic spectra can be accounted for by the simple two state VB model.